Russian Official Rules Out Moscow Paying Compensation To Prague For 2014 Blasts

Moscow does not intend to pay $47 million in damages to Prague over Russia's alleged involvement in blasts that hit ammunition depots in the Czech town of Vrbetice in 2014, Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy head of the Russian upper house's international affairs committee, told Sputnik on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th May, 2021) Moscow does not intend to pay $47 million in damages to Prague over Russia's alleged involvement in blasts that hit ammunition depots in the Czech town of Vrbetice in 2014, Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy head of the Russian upper house's international affairs committee, told Sputnik on Monday.

On Sunday, Czech Finance Minister Alena Schillerova announced that Prague would seek $47 million in damages from Russia over the 2014 explosions. The minister added that a lawsuit against Moscow was backed by the parliament.

"They no longer know what to make up. Why should we pay them anything? There was no investigation, no establishment of all the facts. Nobody will pay them, this is absurd," Dzhabarov said.

Commenting on Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis' recent call on EU nations to consider expelling at least one Russian diplomat in solidarity with Prague, the lawmaker dismissed such policy as a game, adding that Babis "really wants to please Americans."

Last month, Prague declared 18 Russian diplomats personae non gratae, citing the suspicion that Russian military intelligence officers were involved in the 2014 explosions which killed two Czech nationals.

Moscow, which rejects the allegations as groundless, retaliated by expelling 20 Czech diplomats, which in turn prompted Prague to order more diplomats out of the country in response.